The Cats get beat by the Cream!!

Rowington entertained Champions elect Catherine de Barnes on Saturday and as usual were soon put into the field.

Opener Steve Jay was back to full fitness and his first over saw the Cats opener James Mason miss one down leg side and he gets bowled around his legs and its already 0 - 1.

Hanlon is joined by Stibborn who takes the Norton mentality and goes for everything, regardless of where it pitches, Jay keeps the ball up to him and he drives straight to Alex Dean at mid-off and he drops it, Stibborn then moves the score pas the 50 almost single handedly when he tries to drive Jay again but this time an inside edge sees the ball trickle onto the stumps and the bails fall, Stibborn has gone for 34, its 51 - 2.

Dan Haywood strolls in and Jay quickly find the edge to Matt Williams at first slip, Haywood gets a duck and Jay has 3, 55 - 3.

Price is clearly not right as he stands his ground as the ball goes to Williams again from Jay but its to no avail as the umpire puts his finger up and he also gets duck, 55-4 and Jays got them all!

Mace and Hanlon begin a spirited fight back and pass the ton but Andy Shaw has replaced Alex Dean and Matt Williams has replaced Jay after his ten, Shaw then gets Hanlon to try for the big one and he misses it and is bowled for a very patient 60, its now 130 -5.

Williams then gets in on the act as Mace fends one off but it goes straight up in the air and Williams catches it himself off his own bowling Mace getting 32, 132 -6.

Blackburn faces Williams and is clean bowled for a duck, 132 - 7, and Prince helps Spence add a few but he suffers the same fate as Williams bowls him for 2, 139 - 8.

Wardell darts in and plays his shots moving the Cats past 150 and towards the next points total (175) when Spence skies one for Joe Turrell to catch off the returning Sam Turrell and

now its 165 -9.

Davies comes in and helps the Cats tail to wag with a few boundaries and with Wardell they manage to get to 186 off the 45 overs for 9 down.

Wardell 23 no and Davies 14 no.

Jay 10 2 43 4 Great spell of swing bowling!

Turrell 8 1 43 1 kept the other end tight.

Dean 7 1 35 0 Lost his line and catching!!

Williams 10 2 32 3 Another great spell - gets better and better!

Shaw 10 2 27 1 Tidy as ever and kept the runs down.

A great bowling performance by the R's to restrict the now champions ( they needed one point) to 186 and its now down to the batsmen.

Alex Smith and Tommy Williams are the R's openers facing Davies and Wardell and Williams takes the game to the Cats as he plunders boundary after boundary and after 10 overs the R's are on 50, Williams then charges down the pitch to Mason and misses the ball and gets stumped for a quickfire 35, the R's are 58 - 1.

Eike Gilbert comes in and takes over the Williams role swiftly adding 20 when the keeper takes one off Davies and Gilberts gone, the score is 84 - 2 off 19 overs.

Joe Turrell helps Smith get past the ton and onto 120 when Turrell is caught off Prince for 11, 120 - 3, Smith is still there!

Joe Kelly ups the pace as the R's are dropping behind the run-rate but he then charges Mason (Williams like) and its the same result and he's gone for 9, 136 - 4 off 35 overs.

In comes the larger than life Ben Skillings and his first three scores are boundaries as the pressure reverts back to the Cats, Smith then tries to up it as well but edges to the keeper off Blackburn for a fine 50 and Rowington are 161 - 5 off 38 overs.

7 overs remaining and 26 runs required.

Skipper Sam Turrell comes in to join Skillings and he also hits boundary after boundary as they guide the R's to within 2 of the target with 3 overs to go.

Mason is bowling and Skillings patiently waits for the bad ball, it eventually comes and he grabs a boundary to see the R's home on 188 - 5.

Skillings 17no and Turrell 21 no.

Davies 1 - 33

Mason 2 - 41

Prince 1 - 26

Blackburn 1 - 26

The Cats wicket takers.

A great performance against a team that had only lost twice all season and even better as the usual Skipper Scott Rogers was injured and played no part.

The final game of the season sees Rowington travel to Kenilworth Wardens with 5th place guaranteed, a very successful season for the Rowington first XI.